One main annoyance of mine is the minimum age too work. Most proponents of children's rights try to stave off working as long as possible, yet I don't think this is fair. The laws were adjusted during the Industrial Revolution not because of the bad working conditions or with any benefit towards the children in mind, but to keep the fast-turning-obsolete adults in work. Because they had exactly the same skills and took less pay, the children were more efficient for the companies, and in some cases better suited for the job because of their size. While no one opposes that the situations they were put in were very dangerous, the jobs were exactly the same that everyone else had to do. It would have been a more just course of action to leave the children in, which would eventually follow the same course as adult organization with unions and the like for better conditions and wages. Now underage children who must help support their families must work under the table, which has a much higher chance that their services will be abused and makes it near impossible to create better conditions when not legally backed. While complete abandonment of these laws is unlikely to be upheld, the age should be lowered to be able to work, especially for less dangerous jobs. Candide has most of its young people in school, which is curious as at this time-period there was no compulsory education and many would be working with their families to support themselves.
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